Time wasted

[oogaboogachiefwalkingdeer]

I have come to the conclusion that draining off a gallon or so from the mash tun to clear the flow is probably just wasting time and effort. The biab folks grind finer crush's almost to powder. They dunk, flow sparge thru it, squeeze it. I have started to just use a small hop bag over the drain to catch any bits. Still making good tasting clear beer without the piece of foil over the grain and da da da.

 

[GenIke]

You're probably right. Everything that doesnt settle out during chilling would just settle in the fermenter.

 

[brewbama]

In my opinion, Vorlauf doesn't take up a lot of time. Maybe a minute.

 

[Happywanderer]

I used to vorlauf. Now I have voile fabric lining my mash tun ... and why bother really. I just open the drain and let er rip. No worries.

 

[didinho]

Everything that doesnt settle out during chilling would just settle in the fermenter.

that's true. for Ales.
in lager I try to clean the wort/beer as much as possible

 

[wilserbrewer]

I have wondered if the whole vorlauf concept has been over applied to home brewing? With a large tun and FB, like a larger brewery I'm sure a lot of particles get through, but with a SS braid, it's like a maybe cup of cloudy wort, almost nothing.

 

[Hello]

I've been using a bag for BIAB as well as my FB in a mash tun. It makes for easy cleanup. I still vorlauf, but I realized that maybe I can stop doing that. It doesn't take my long though, that's for sure. I usually drain 3/4 of a gallon. I do see the movement from cloudy to slightly more clear, but I too wondered if it mattered any.

 

[kh54s10]

If you don't vorlauf and set the grain bed you risk a stuck sparge. Not as worried about the debris getting through as taking a couple of hours trying to get the tun drained.

 

[Hello]

If you don't vorlauf and set the grain bed you risk a stuck sparge. Not as worried about the debris getting through as taking a couple of hours trying to get the tun drained.

Very good point.

 

[Happywanderer]

If you don't vorlauf and set the grain bed you risk a stuck sparge. Not as worried about the debris getting through as taking a couple of hours trying to get the tun drained.

But, if you just line your mash tun with voile fabric - you will never get a stuck sparge. Ever. S'what I do. Works wonders. Such a simple thing makes brewing that much easier. Easier drain of first runnings, easier sparge, easier cleanup.

Can be done in round coolers. Can be done in square coolers. Can be done in any shape mash tun you can think of really.

I'll post a picture next time I brew (3 weeks) to show my setup. I hit 70% efficiency typically ... that's brewhouse. My last batch was 75% efficiency. I had a batch that was >80% efficiency. I shoot for 70% and that makes me happy.

Oh - and with this setup, I usually get much more first runnings/second runnings that most programs like beersmith calculate - like a gallon more in total. Because I can lift the grain and drain to the last drop. I tend not to drain all of the second runnings because I like to keep my boil times at about 70-80 minutes. Save propane ya know.

 

[oogaboogachiefwalkingdeer]

In no way can not vorlaufing cause a stuck sparge. It just don't matter if you are draining off to boil kettle or returning some to the mash tun. I think the reverse is more likely. The more you jack around with the bed the more risk you end up plugging it off with the fine powder in the grain.

 

[wobdee]

I BIAB and do a small vorlauf of about a half gallon til it runs clear. I crush pretty fine and some flour gets through so I figure it doesn't hurt and only takes a minute. I also harvest slurry for next batch so I'd like to keep the yeast cake as clean as possible.

 

[oogaboogachiefwalkingdeer]

I use slurry pitch's also. No negative impact observed or tasted.

 

[LLBeanJ]

If you don't vorlauf and set the grain bed you risk a stuck sparge. Not as worried about the debris getting through as taking a couple of hours trying to get the tun drained.

I BIAB, so don't have any experience with a traditional MLT setup, but wouldn't the grain bed set on its own after a few minutes of draining into the kettle?

In no way can not vorlaufing cause a stuck sparge. It just don't matter if you are draining off to boil kettle or returning some to the mash tun. I think the reverse is more likely. The more you jack around with the bed the more risk you end up plugging it off with the fine powder in the grain.

OP, you beat me to the punch!

 

[kh54s10]

In no way can not vorlaufing cause a stuck sparge. It just don't matter if you are draining off to boil kettle or returning some to the mash tun. I think the reverse is more likely. The more you jack around with the bed the more risk you end up plugging it off with the fine powder in the grain.

I BIAB, so don't have any experience with a traditional MLT setup, but wouldn't the grain bed set on its own after a few minutes of draining into the kettle?







OP, you beat me to the punch!

I have never had a stuck sparge but have read of many that did. The answer is always to "set the bed" by doing a vorlauf.

So skip it if you want to risk it.

 

[oogaboogachiefwalkingdeer]

I have never had a stuck sparge but have read of many that did. The answer is always to "set the bed" by doing a vorlauf.

So skip it if you want to risk it.

Care to explain why? I never got a stuck sparge either.

 

[masaba]

I have never had a stuck sparge but have read of many that did. The answer is always to "set the bed" by doing a vorlauf.

So skip it if you want to risk it.

The actual vorlauf (dumping several runnings of wort back into the mashtun) has nothing to do with preventing stuck sparge. People say to start your runnings slowly to set the grain bed in order to prevent stuck sparge, but you can do that without vorlaufing.

 

[kh54s10]

The actual vorlauf (dumping several runnings of wort back into the mashtun) has nothing to do with preventing stuck sparge. People say to start your runnings slowly to set the grain bed in order to prevent stuck sparge, but you can do that without vorlaufing.

Oh... I guess this is true.

But I still vorlauf, It only takes me a quart or so, one running. It takes maybe 2 minutes. I get less debris through to the fermenter and lose less beer in the trub.

It is no big deal to me so I will continue to vorlauf. YMMV

 

[masaba]

Oh... I guess this is true.

But I still vorlauf, It only takes me a quart or so, one running. It takes maybe 2 minutes. I get less debris through to the fermenter and lose less beer in the trub.

It is no big deal to me so I will continue to vorlauf. YMMV

Yeah, I still vorlauf too. I don't consider the time I spend vorlaufing as wasted time, even if it isn't necessary.

 

[LLBrewer]

Oh... I guess this is true.

But I still vorlauf, It only takes me a quart or so, one running. It takes maybe 2 minutes. I get less debris through to the fermenter and lose less beer in the trub.

It is no big deal to me so I will continue to vorlauf. YMMV

I think the point is that you don't want a lot of grain getting in the boil. Not sure how much is too much but boiling grains will extract tanins.
After years of brewing, I'm in the line your mash tun camp. For me it makes for the easiest brew day.

 

[chrism101]

Most of the time I batch sparge and parti gyle . 2-3 batches through my mash tun and never stuck. But the tun will hold 30+ lbs of grain

 

[blackbeer]

i vorlauft once and then put a mesh grain bag over the outlet to catch the extra chunks that the screen doesn't.

 

[cyberbrew]

I'm in the vorlauf camp, mainly because it gets me nice clear wort for the boil and doesn't take more than a couple mins to complete each round (I batch sparge/parti gyle as well). Additionally, I enjoy geeking out on brew day "helpers" with all the brewing terminology, and come on what could be better than vorlauf!!